The Centre urged battery manufacturers to set up units in India as demand in the country was expected to grow rapidly following its push for e-vehicles.

Power and Renewable Energy Minister R.K. Singh made the appeal during a meeting with battery manufacturers on Friday.

Tenders for e-vehicles

“Tenders for procuring e-vehicles have already been issued and we have started procuring the vehicles,” Mr. Singh said. “This is going to increase.”

The Minister also said that future bids for solar and wind projects would be coupled with storage, adding that the Centre would soon come out with a policy in this regard with a focus on ‘Make in India.’

Mr. Singh also said that the Centre had already initiated interactions with resource-rich countries such as Bolivia to ensure an adequate supply of raw materials for energy storage sector.

“The industry representatives raised the issue of high GST (Goods and Services Tax) rates on batteries,” the Centre said in a statement after the meeting. “They demanded that to promote Make in India, preference should be given to Indian-made batteries in government procurement. They also stressed upon the need for creating Indian standards for batteries and setting up of field testing facilities for both stationary and mobile sectors.”